76ers vs Knicks 106-100: Sixers Spoil Knicks' Ring Night in LeBron and Jaylen Brown's Debut
The Philadelphia 76ers opened the 2026-27 NBA season with a 106-100 win over the defending champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden — on the night the Knicks raised their first championship banner in 53 years and handed out their rings.
How the game unfolded
Andre Drummond made an early impact against his former team with 6 points and 6 rebounds in the first quarter, helping the Knicks to a two-point lead. The turning point came late in the third quarter, when Philadelphia closed on an 11-0 run and never trailed again.
Karl-Anthony Towns cut the lead to 96-95 with a three late in the fourth, but Joel Embiid answered right away from deep. Jaylen Brown later hit a buzzer-beating three off a LeBron James inbounds pass.
Key stats
| Player | Team | Line |
|---|---|---|
| Tyrese Maxey | 76ers | 28 points — game high |
| Jaylen Brown | 76ers | 19 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists (debut) |
| LeBron James | 76ers | 14 points, 9 rebounds (debut) |
| Joel Embiid | 76ers | 13 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists — double-double |
| Jalen Brunson | Knicks | 21 points (6-of-19 FG) |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | Knicks | 19 points |
Philadelphia's defense was the difference: the Knicks shot just 37% from the field.
What it means
The new-look Sixers, who added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown over the summer, showed right away how the pieces fit: Maxey ran the offense and the stars made the big plays down the stretch. For the champions, the title celebration ended in a loss.
All opening-night results: NBA scores — October 20 →
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